Puberty- A Delicate Phase in Parenting

Parenting is the most beautiful colour of life. You live your childhood once again with your little ones. To see your little bundle of joy growing itself is the biggest joy on this earth.

My daughter turned 10 this year and along with other gifts of her choice like a doll, a few hair accessories, a beautiful dress with matching shoes, and jewelry, I gifted her a book named  ‘Menstrupedia‘, the essential puberty guide for every girl.

The book is in a form of a comic that nicely explains Puberty through illustrations and pictures. For boys, the book is available with the name Gulu.

With parenting comes responsibilities and every parent tries to put their best efforts into raising their child.

One such responsibility is to understand the different development stages of a child, to prepare the child for the coming years so that the child can enjoy each colour of life with full enthusiasm.

Parents will talk about anything in this world but not talk about a few topics which actually need to be discussed with our children. One such topic is, ‘Puberty‘.

In this blog, I have shared some important information that parents should understand well and guide their children accordingly. Let us talk about Puberty in detail.

Puberty is that time when a child’s body starts developing and changing like that of an adult.  Every girl and boy goes through this phase.

In girls, the process usually starts between the ages of 10 to 14, and in boys from age of 12 to 16. Puberty causes physical changes in their bodies.

In girls, the signs of puberty are tenderness in breasts, pain in nipple buds, and the appearance of pubic hair. They may get a white vaginal discharge. After a gap of a year or two, they can get their first periods. One can see hair growth in the underarms too. Their height and weight also increase during puberty.

For boys, the signs of puberty are that their penis and testicles get bigger, pubic hair appears and their body starts sweating a lot. Along with increasing height and weight, their voice grows deeper as their vocal chord changes.

During puberty, the body starts to grow fast, and the shape of the body changes. These physical changes can affect a child’s emotional well-being. They might undergo frequent mood swings because of these physical changes. At times they can show anger and misbehave too but parents should help them by listening to them patiently and making them feel absolutely loved. Remember, communication is a must.

My daughter had started showing some signs of puberty, so I thought this was the right time to introduce her to this coming phase of life. She actually loved going through the book. We discussed about periods and everything which is related to puberty. The book also tells the importance of hygiene and a well-balanced diet during the growing years.

Now, I am sure if my daughter gets her periods, she will understand the symptoms and handle them well. I have kept a sanitary pad in her bag for an emergency and explained, how to use it.

I believe as parents we should understand the different development stages of our children and guide them from time to time to make their transition from a child to adolescence smooth and enjoyable. After all, we provide the foundation in all aspects for their coming years.

Friends, please share your experiences too in the comment box, and do let me know how did you introduce your children to puberty?